Warning for strong winds in many regions this Saturday

BarcelonaThe weekend will start off eventful, but it will end even more so. The passage of a cold front has brought some scattered showers throughout the early hours, but the most significant change it has caused is the opening of the door to a strong mistral wind in many areas, with new snowfall in the Pyrenees, mainly affecting the northern slopes. However, the weather will improve considerably on Sunday. Temperatures will drop this weekend as we enter the new month, with a more wintry feel after highs exceeded 15°C in many coastal, pre-coastal, and southern areas on Friday. Notable highs included 19°C in Casas de Alcanar (Montsià) and L'Aldea (Baix Ebre), and 18°C ​​in the port of Barcelona. The unsettled and changeable weather offers no respite, and next week could begin with another shower of rain.

Saturday: strong winds

The early morning showers are over in Asturias, but showers are still expected during the day between Mallorca and Menorca. Once the front passes, a strong mistral wind is expected to affect many areas.

The strongest winds will blow in the central and southern parts of the country, in the Ponent region, the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands, and the Pyrenees peaks. Very adverse conditions are expected in the high mountains, with strong winds, blizzards, snow, and freezing temperatures. Meteocat has issued alerts for strong gusts of wind that could exceed 70 km/h in several areas, although locally gusts will exceed 100 km/h in the windiest areas, especially at higher elevations. The Ventcat plan is activated at the alert level.

Temperatures will drop and it will get colder, with many highs between 10 and 15°C, significantly lower in mountainous areas. As for the sky, sunshine will prevail in most regions, and snowfall will resume on the north-facing slopes, appearing intermittently on the south. The snow level will initially be around 800 or 1,000 meters, but will rise to 1,200 meters in the afternoon. More than 25 cm of new snow is possible at higher and mid-elevations in the Alt Pirineu and on the north-facing slopes, and Meteocat has issued an alert for snow depths exceeding 20 cm above 1,400 meters in the Vall d'Aran.

Sunday: more calm

The weather will be much calmer on Sunday, the first day of February, with a easing wind and snowfall that will also stop in the Pyrenees. The sky will be variable, with intervals of clouds moving across the sky. Only a few showers or light rain are possible throughout the day in the Lleida region and the interior of the Ebro valley, with a snow level of around 1,000 meters. This is unlikely, as rain is generally not expected. Temperatures will be similar or slightly higher.

Unsettled weather is also expected next week.

A new front will cross us on Monday, potentially bringing a significant amount of rain to all areas. While heavy rainfall isn't expected, the southern slopes of the Pyrenees will see a substantial return of snow at mid and high elevations. The weather will remain unsettled and changeable throughout the first week of February due to the passage of new fronts associated with Atlantic storms. This situation is expected to last for several days.